Wisconsin was among states that
sued over the Trump administration's
nearly $400 million cut
to AmeriCorps.
Subsequently, a federal court issued
a temporary injunction restoring
its programs and funding.
In Wisconsin, about $14 million
goes to Americorps programs
in schools, health care clinics,
and in nonprofits.
Where does all this leave the
program in Wisconsin?
We turn to the executive director
of Serve Wisconsin.
A state agency that partners with
AmeriCorps to recruit and
train volunteer workers who
receive stipends for living
expenses.
Jeanne Duffy joins us now.
Thanks very much for being here.
Thanks for having me.
So how welcome was the news that
the court issued this temporary
injunction?
It was very welcome, it was a joyous
moment.
It was just a reaffirmation
of our work, what we do,
and that the rule of law still
stands, that you cannot illegally
terminate grants.
How disruptive, though, to the
programs was the elimination
of the grant?
Oh, it's been a roller coaster,
and as you know, it's a lot easier
to break things than to bring things
back.
We had almost 400 members serving
in April when we got notice that
the grant terminations,
that the grants were terminated, and
many of those people are, you know
between ages 20 and 25,
so they can't sit around and wait
for another six weeks to see if
they are gonna be brought back to
service.
So a lot of our members have already
moved on.
We're very lucky, many of our
programs kept their members on in
service, and many,
so they can instantly return
to service.
But it's a hard road to
hold to bring things back.
What is the purpose of AmeriCorps?
Yes, AmeriCorp is a lovely program.
Well, so I would say that.
But our mission is to bring people
together through service, and we
serve some of our most vulnerable
citizens and communities, and
we help connect people in service
to build civic engagement.
And empathy amongst
our citizens and
our young people.
So every year we have over 1,000
young people primarily serving
across the state, from Superior
down to
Kenosha, and they are doing a
variety of things, and through their
service they are gaining essential
workforce development skills,
leadership skills, communication
skills, and learning how to bridge
divides and becoming engaged
citizens. What kinds of programs
and where in the state are they?
Yeah, so like I said, we are
statewide.
We have members serving at
youth shelters statewide, and
they're helping homeless and runaway
youth over 1,000 every year
get back into safe housing.
And what's so sad about that is it
often means not going home.
We, our AmeriCorps members, are
primarily known for working in
schools, and every year we help over
17,000 students through tutoring,
after-school programs, or getting
into college.
Summer is a prime time for
AmeriCorps. We have conservation
programs working across the state,
improving over 600 acres
of our lands, removing invasive
species, planting trees, doing flood
mitigation and work such as that.
Wow, a lot of different kinds
of programs.
If there's a community need,
there's probably an AmeriCorps
member serving there.
So at this point, notwithstanding
the young people,
the volunteers, the members, as
they're called, having possibly
left, have services returned
to normal?
Yes, so we have many programs
that staff
summer camps, such as
Easter Seals and Boys and Girls Club
of Greater Milwaukee.
So Easter Seels runs two summer
camps to help people of all
abilities have a quality summer
camp experience that many kids love.
And AmeriCorps members are being
returned to service to help staff
those programs.
In the Milwaukee area,
parents count on summer camps
for childcare during the summer.
And we have over 50 members who
serve in summer camps in the
Milwaukee area.
So the Boys and Girls Club are
bringing those people back to help
staff the summer camps.
At this point, what is the status of
the court process?
So we had the grant terminations
April 25th and then shortly after
the state of Wisconsin joined a
multi-state lawsuit for
suing against the illegal
termination of the grants.
We have an injunction and
that was last week.
And right now the injunction is
standing and the federal government
has not appealed the injunction.
But they have up to 60 days to file
an appeal.
So in this period of time,
while waiting really for a final
resolution, where does
that uncertainty leave people in
the program, both those who work for
it and those who are recipients
of it?
Yeah, no.
Like I said, it's a rollercoaster.
And many people don't want to take
the risk because AmeriCorps is a
cost reimbursement program.
So these nonprofits, they have to
expend the money before they get
reimbursed by the federal
government.
So they, by bringing members back,
they're putting their own financial
security at risk and hoping that
they'll get re-imbursed by the
Federal Government.
The state of Wisconsin, you know, is
providing the insurances that we
can, but it is a risk.
And also, we've committed to
members, too, and so members have
to know that, you know, these are
primarily young people.
Maybe they're in college, maybe
they're not, but you know they're
counting on us for their summer
experience.
So if it gets terminated, it could
disrupt their plans, too.
All right, well we will be watching.
Jeanne Duffy, thanks very much.
No, thank you for having me.
For more on this and other issues
facing Wisconsin, visit our website
at pbswisconsin.org
and then click on the news tab.
That's our program for tonight.
I'm Frederica Freiberg.
Have a good weekend.